ULTRA RARE COMPLETE INTACT PRIMITIVE BONE-CRUSHING HYENA BOROPHAGINE FANG WITH FULL ROOT

Bone Valley Formation - Central Florida, U.S.A.

EARLY PLIOCENE PERIOD:  5 million years ago

This is an incredibly rare complete fang tooth with full intact root from a primitive prehistoric Bone-Crushing Hyena-like canine called a BORAPHAGINE.  The specific species is called Boraphagus pugnator.  This was a huge canid carnivore of prehistoric North America with bone-cracking jaws for devouring large prey.  Its fossils are extremely rare in museum collections not to mention private collections and commercially available specimens are virtually non-existent, on rare occasion coming from old private collections as this one did.  The mining region of Bone Valley has long been off-limits to fossil collecting and regardless, much of the great terrestrial vertebrate fossil-producing areas are now reclaimed and replanted by the mining companies.  In other words, specimens like this are not possible to collect anymore so acquiring such a rare specimen like this is in itself, a rare opportunity.

It is highly probable that we will never have any other fossils again from this prehistoric carnivore.  This is a spectacular fang tooth and the crown is not broken but shows a slightly worn tip from natural feeding wear when this beast was alive.  Old age fossils of bone-crushing predators usually show extreme wear on the teeth so this is an especially nice specimen to show only slight feeding wear.  It certainly must have seen considerable meals.  Like many Bone Valley vertebrate fossils, this fang shows the very unique color combination unique to this formation - a white bone root with a blue-black enamel crown.  The root is complete and unbroken.  The degree of preservation and completeness on this specimen is of the highest order and its quality combined with its rarity makes this a truly prize fossil for a museum or advanced collector. 

The fauna of prehistoric Florida is nothing short of fascinating.  Amongst every type of animal that ever walked this part of the planet millions of years ago, fossil remains of this horrific and ferocious beast are RARE.  This is a highly unusual fossil of a rare extinct North American apex predator - one of the top apex predators of its time.  This specimen would make an incredibly unique talisman or pendant as well as a RARE addition to a display of rare prehistoric apex predators!  NO REPAIR and NO RESTORATION.  For the fossil of a lifetime in rarity and display appeal, this is definitely a top recommendation of ours!

The extinct BOROPHAGINES represent a canid subfamily that lived from the Early Oligocene, 34 million years ago, to the Late Pliocene, 2 million years ago.  The Borophaginae include sevaral genera.  The term BOROPHAGUS means "devouring glutton".  It is believed that these creatures were like large hyenas both hunting in packs and scavenging on carcasses. 

The anatomy of these animals can be described as having robust, broad and powerful bodies with high-domed skulls, short muzzles and strong jaws lined with bone-crushing teeth.  They were about the size of a coyote but much more powerful and thick in body structure.  Prehistoric canids like the Dire Wolf replaced these creatures when they died out of the end of the Late Pliocene.

INFINITELY MORE RARE THAN DIRE WOLF REMAINS - RARE IN ANY COLLECTION, ACADEMIC OR PRIVATE!

2.5" long on the outside curve

$895     LM43-006     INCLUDES DISPLAY BOX     Actual Item - One Only

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